An Unconventional Bride, page 2
When he didn’t respond, she scowled at him, only just refraining from poking him in the chest. How could someone so pompous, be related to Kitty’s likeable new husband, and her equally likeable—and clearly intelligent—sister-in-law?
“In my weak, female opinion, my lord, you are an arrogant, thoughtless man, far too full of his own self-importance, and as long as you possess this manner of thinking, no woman will ever willingly marry you, regardless of how charming and handsome you think you are.”
And if any woman did, she would get what she deserved—to be treated like a simpleton for the rest of her life.
Emma’s dreams of the perfect husband were completely the opposite—someone who would treat her with respect, and as an equal when it came to matters of intelligence.
She knew her opinion was not a popular one, but right now, with Lord William so casually insulting all women without even realising it was an insult, she couldn’t seem to control her wayward tongue.
Lord William cleared his throat as if to speak, opened his mouth, then snapped it shut again. He turned quickly and stomped off without another word.
She didn’t feel a shred of remorse for saying those things to Lord William. In fact, the anger roiling inside her was so intense, the man was fortunate indeed that those were the only words she’d chosen to utter in his presence.
What a cad!
Poor Kitty, being related to someone that narrow-minded.
She vowed to have as little to do with the duke’s brother as possible, from this moment onward.
Chapter Two
WILL ROLLED HIS SNIFTER before sipping the brandy, then placed the drink on the low table beside him.
He gazed down at the garden from the large window of the duke’s study. The wedding guests still conversed cheerfully, laughing and obviously enjoying themselves in the rare afternoon sunshine.
He, however, was certainly in no mood to return to the garden. Emma’s words had affected him more than they should. Despite their brief conversation, Emma had—for some unbeknownst reason—riled Will up in a manner he had not expected.
He was angered not only at the fact that the attractive red-haired beauty did not share his opinions on who should be in control within a marriage, but also that she had dared to oppose him in such an angry manner. Furthermore, Emma had caused him to feel inadequate. He was left speechless, unable to counter her last sentence, no matter how hard he cast around in his mind for the words to do so.
This not only infuriated Will, but made him wish the ground would open up and swallow him whole. Embarrassment had washed over him despite his intoxication, and he was now second guessing himself.
That was an extremely uncommon situation in which to find himself.
Will had been a confident person from a very young age, and he had rarely doubted himself. His carefree nature was something the duke had blatantly envied, as it had been something James had always lacked. Since meeting Kitty, that had seemed to change, somewhat. James was now much more self-assured, which was good for his brother, but it left Will a little unsettled. He could never have imagined a year or two ago that their roles would be reversed. He did not like being the one who lacked confidence, and yet, his encounter with Emma had left feeling exactly that.
Inadequate, and in the wrong.
He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed, glancing at the snifter on the table. It was empty. When had he finished it? Perhaps he’d had enough, and it was time to stop drinking. He’d embarrassed himself sufficiently for one day, and did not wish to bear any more, especially from Emma.
Initially, he had been drawn to her by her beauty. She was magnificent, with her long, red tresses pinned at the nape of her neck. There was a look in her eye that hinted of passion, and he couldn’t help wondering what it would be like to take her in his arms and kiss her. Would she submit to him? Would she blossom in his embrace? Or would she look up at him with censure in her eyes and tell him to stop behaving like a pompous ass?
He could not tolerate a woman who would not know her place in society.
He had the feeling Emma would never submit without an argument, and he decided then and there that he should keep his guard up around the duchess’s friend. They were simply too different to ever be anything to each other than passing acquaintances.
Both he and his brother had been raised to believe the same things about men, and women, and marriage, but James seemed to have been swayed by the lovely duchess. His brother had even allowed Kitty full control of the wedding arrangements, something Will would certainly not have allowed.
“There you are.”
Will whirled and saw James standing in the doorway, his arms hanging down his sides, a pensive expression mixed with a hint of concern on his face.
“Indeed,” Will answered curtly.
“I was under the impression I would find you passed out cold somewhere,” James said with a sly grin.
Will nodded, his jaw clenched.
“What’s the matter?” James asked, closing the door and coming to sit in the chair opposite Will. “You look unaccountably angry about something.”
“My entire life, I have not felt inadequate, or anything less than confident. Not even for a moment, James. I have never doubted myself, or my beliefs. Ever,” Will grumbled.
“What happened?” his brother asked.
Will opened his mouth to explain, then shut it again, feeling awkward.
When James waited patiently with an eyebrow raised, Will sighed. “I’d rather not say.”
“Surely it must have been something dire for it to have such an effect on you, brother. As you stated, you are the confident one, the self-assured one. Tell me. What happened?”
Will stared down at his hands. “This stays between the two of us?”
“Of course,” James nodded. “You have my discretion.”
Will’s shoulders slumped and he sighed wearily. “Emma said things to me that usually I would never take to heart, nor allow to affect me.”
The duke’s brow furrowed. “Emma? Kitty’s friend?”
“Is there any other Emma present?” Will muttered.
“Indeed,” said James and leaned forward. “What did Emma say to you?”
What didn’t she say?
“She insulted me. Called me arrogant and thoughtless, and wrong in my beliefs about marriage and women,” Will answered.
“Did she state those specific words?” James asked in apparent disbelief.
“She may as well have.” Will threw his hands in the air. “Never in my life have I allowed anyone to speak to me in such a way, least of all a woman! Then she comes along and causes me to doubt everything in which I believe. Suddenly, I am questioning my entire existence, and I don’t understand why.”
James shifted his weight and crossed his arms, staring intently at Will. “Perhaps the young lady has managed to get under your skin, William.”
Will scoffed with mock amusement. “That is the most ridiculous thing you have ever said, James.”
The duke raised a brow at his younger brother and remained perfectly still.
Will exploded. “Do not glare at me in such a manner! I don’t even know this young woman. Why on earth would she affect me in such a way?”
“Perhaps she—”
Will held up his hand. “No, James.”
His brother was wrong. Whatever he was going to say... it had to be wrong.
James pushed on. “Have you considered the possibility that she is permitted to have an opinion of her own? And that her opinion is as valid as yours, even if she does not agree with you?”
“Well, I mean...” Will chuckled once more, but his smile faded as he realised the duke was serious. “You cannot be serious, James. Outspoken women are not...”
“Are not what? Desirable as wives?” the duke interrupted, his eyes narrowing slightly.
“That is not what I meant.”
Will was not considering Emma for a wife. Definitely not. That was the last thing on his mind when he thought about Kitty’s friend.
The fact that his own mind denied the idea so strenuously, was something he decided to ignore.
“What exactly did you mean, William?” James pressed.
Will sighed. Frustration filled him to the core and he gritted his teeth. “Father taught us that women have a place in this world, and it is not to be outspoken or to disrespect men in any manner. Surely you remember? The message was drummed into us, over and over, from when we first began to walk.”
“That may be true, but Mother made it perfectly clear that we should stick to our own beliefs and morals,” James countered. “Regardless of whether or not they aligned with Father’s views.”
Will shook his head. “I respect Father’s teachings. He made me the man I am today.”
“A man uncertain how to handle being made to feel embarrassed by a young woman speaking her truth?” the duke retorted.
Will’s jaw dropped. “That was rather insulting, even for you, brother.”
“My apologies, brother, but you must admit, this young woman has turned your world around in the blink of an eye, and she continues to have an effect on you, even though she is nowhere near you right now. Surely, there must be a reason for the depth of that effect. Or... perhaps it is merely all the brandy you consumed this afternoon that is causing this momentary lapse of confidence you are feeling?” James said.
“I am fairly certain all the brandy has left my blood by now.”
“Interesting.” James chuckled, but soon stifled his laughter when Will glared at him.
“You find my pain amusing? What a supportive brother you are,” Will mumbled.
“My sincerest apologies, brother. I did not mean to delight in your misery,” James said.
“Perhaps it is merely that I am being foolish, allowing an ignorant young woman to riddle me with self-doubt,” Will answered, his shoulders straightening. “What kind of man would I be if I were to allow that?”
“A chauvinistic one?” came a female voice from behind them.
Will glanced to his left and saw Kitty standing in the doorway, a pout on her lips.
“Did your mother not teach you it is improper to eavesdrop on other people’s conversations?” Will muttered.
“Hold your tongue. You do not speak to my wife in such a manner,” James snapped, defending his new wife.
“There is no need for you both to become hostile,” Kitty answered calmly and turned to her husband. “And while I appreciate your chivalrous behaviour, my love, I can speak for myself. I can also understand Will’s frustration.”
“You can?” Will and James inquired simultaneously.
“Indeed,” Kitty answered, and slowly approached the two men. “All your lives, you have been taught one thing by a... well...” She cleared her throat, as if holding back unpleasant words, before continuing. “By your father. And then a young woman comes along who challenges every belief instilled in you. It is only natural to feel threatened—”
“I do not feel threatened,” Will interjected.
Kitty simply looked at Will, until he felt his cheeks heat. Her gaze raked his face and a small smile lifted her lips before she continued. “Emma is a very good friend of mine, and she and I are very much alike. Her morals and beliefs are sound, and although she would not yield to your views, she would perhaps understand a little better if you explained how you and James were raised.”
“I think it is best for all if I stay as far away from Emma as possible, not to further impugn myself,” Will muttered, and turned away.
“William, you are not a child,” James said impatiently.
“Perhaps not, but I still wish to distance myself avoid her at all costs.”
He knew he was being obstinate and childish, but he couldn’t seem to help himself. Perhaps the brandy had been stronger than he thought.
The duke and duchess glanced at one another and Kitty cringed. “I do apologize, Will, but I have invited Emma to stay here at the estate for a few days. I was under the impression it would not be a problem.”
“And it is not,” the duke assured her, glaring at Will. “We are all adults, and we can behave as such, even for a few days.”
“Well, I’ll try,” Will promised in a grumbling tone. “Though I cannot promise anything.”
James chuckled. “I uttered those same words, William, or something similar, and look where it has gotten me.”
“Very happily married, I would hope!” Kitty gave her husband a gentle punch on the arm.
He grinned at her. “Very, my dear.”
Will tried hard not to roll his eyes at their exchange. There was no way he felt about Emma, the way James felt about Kitty.
Not at all. He shook his head hard as if to emphasise the thought.
“Perhaps Will has finally met his match,” Kitty said, glancing briefly at him and then back to her husband. It was as though he wasn’t even there in the room.
Will’s jaw clenched as he watched the duke and duchess leave the study arm in arm. The whole conversation had sent his spirits plummeting, and he couldn’t quite identify why. All of a sudden, he felt very alone, and unaccountably annoyed—with himself, with his brother and Kitty, and with Emma.
Confound the woman. She had managed to well and truly ruffle his feathers.
Kitty’s last words kept echoing in his mind, but he refused to allow them to seep in any further. Emma was hardly the kind of woman he could stand to be in a room with, let alone anything... more. Kitty’s insinuation was entirely incorrect.
He was tempted to confront Emma once more, just to prove to himself and everyone else that she would not affect him a second time, but as he heard cheerful laughter rise up from the garden below, he glanced out to see most of the guests still happily conversing, laughing with amusement. Will groaned at the thought of heading down there once again, even to prove a point. He did not wish to make a scene in front of everyone.
Despite his feelings of anger, his brother’s wedding was neither the time nor the place to confront Emma. He might be impulsive, with a fiery temperament when provoked, but he was certainly not selfish enough to ruin James and Kitty’s wedding day.
He remained in the study for a long while, before eventually retreating to the neighbouring estate—Falmouth Manor—to visit his good friend, Mr. Carson Wallace.
Will had known Carson since they were young, as the latter was often found playing in the garden with his sister, Lizzie. The two children were great friends, although Will had found it rather odd for a boy and a girl to spend as much time together as they had.
Luckily, however, there had proven to be nothing but platonic feelings between Carson and Lizzie. Will had discovered that fact after he and Carson confided in one another one evening, while secretly sipping the late duke’s brandy, which they had stolen from the study.
The two of them had become good friends that night, despite nursing terrible headaches and dry mouths the following morning.
Carson was a fine young man now, and despite having no title, his family was still one of the wealthiest and most formidable in the county.
After a lovely, and pleasantly distracting, evening in Carson’s company, Will dragged himself back to Woodlock Manor, where the dark halls and his empty bedchamber awaited him.
He fell into a peaceful slumber as soon as his head touched the pillow. Peaceful that is, until his dreams became muddled with the happenings of the day and thoughts of arguing endlessly back and forth with Emma, and then silencing her by kissing her beautiful lips rather thoroughly, turned his dreams into something less peaceful and far more disturbing.
Chapter Three
EMMA SMILED HAPPILY at her reflection in the mirror as she smoothed out her day dress. In the end, she had enjoyed herself thoroughly the previous afternoon, conversing with many of the guests at Woodlock Manor who had come together to honour the marriage celebration of the Duke and Duchess of Somerset.
While she had been paralyzed with shyness for a short time, her natural conversation ability had eventually surfaced and she had spent a delightful couple of hours meeting and chatting with many of Kitty’s new friends and family.
Everyone—with one notable exception—had been lovely. Her smile dimmed a touch at the thought of the duke’s young brother William, but she refused to dwell on his rudeness, and instead, concentrated on tucking away a stray lock of her red hair that had fallen from its elegant confines.
The duke and Kitty made a beautiful couple, and they complemented one another perfectly. Even though Emma had not imagined Kitty would ever marry a man such as the duke, the only thing that mattered was that her best friend was happy.
The glimmer in Kitty’s eyes, and the manner in which the duke lovingly gazed at his wife in return, was a clear indication to Emma that her friend had chosen the right man to be her husband.
Emma’s smile faded more fully as she wondered whether she would ever find a man who would look upon her in such a way, his eyes filled with more love than most people would know in a lifetime.
She reached up and touched the recalcitrant red tendril that still brushed softly against her cheek. She twirled it around her finger before releasing a sigh. Despite having a frustrating conversation with Lord William, she was unable to rid her thoughts of the man.
The duke’s brother was an undeniably attractive young man, with light brown hair, blue eyes, and a strong jawline. His shoulders were broad and his stature was tall and proud, despite the playful nature the brandy had bestowed upon him. Though, that playful trait seemed to disappear entirely when Emma gave him a piece of her mind. She still couldn’t believe he had such archaic beliefs concerning marriage and women. Unfortunately, those beliefs did not seem to stop her from thinking of him.
Perhaps Emma should apologize to Lord William? She had insulted him, after all, and she did not wish for things to become uncomfortable during her stay here at the estate. She had not meant to make such a ruckus in the garden. For the sake of the next few days, and her hosts, the best thing to do might be to ask forgiveness, whether or not Lord William actually deserved an apology.
